Newcastle’s last‑minute manager deal leaves Shearer out in the cold

Alan Shearer has disclosed that in 2009 he was on the brink of becoming Newcastle United’s permanent manager, having shaken hands on a three‑year contract with owner Mike Ashley just two hours before the announcement, only to have the deal withdrawn after the club’s 1‑0 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa.

A chaotic season leaves Newcastle desperate

Newcastle had just been relegated from the Premier League, finishing 18th after a 1‑0 loss to Aston Villa, ending a top‑flight spell that had lasted since 1993. The season had already seen four different managers – Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Chris Hughton and finally Shearer – leaving the club desperate for stability.

Two days after the relegation, Shearer met Mike Ashley at the training ground, where the owner arrived in his helicopter on Tuesday and spent the day in marathon sessions. They spent five to seven hours hashing out the budget for the next twelve to twenty‑four months, staff contracts and other details before finally shaking hands at around three or four o’clock, agreeing on a three‑year contract to be announced on Thursday.

A three‑year deal collapses at the last minute

Just before the public reveal, a member of Ashley’s entourage called Shearer on Thursday morning to say there was a bank issue and the deal was off. Shearer said, “I got a call … two hours before we’re due to announce it … there’s an issue with the bank – we’ll be in touch.”

Shearer had taken charge on 1 April, when Newcastle sat 18th and were in danger of dropping out of the top flight for the first time since 1993. He managed eight games, winning only the 3‑1 home victory over Middlesbrough, while defeats to Fulham and Aston Villa condemned the club to relegation by a single point. He was paid £100,000 per game and stood to earn a £1 million bonus had he kept the team up.

Following the collapsed agreement, Ashley reinstated Chris Hughton as manager. Hughton guided Newcastle back to the Premier League at the first attempt, winning the Championship by eleven points.

Shearer has not spoken to Ashley since the phone call, and while detailed plans for the upcoming Championship season were discussed, the club’s managerial vacancy remained unresolved. The episode highlights how quickly a promised three‑year project can evaporate when financial concerns intervene.